A Slytherin in Hero Clothing
by Siri-Sarah
Summary: Harry, after finding that his boyfriend has cheated on him, starts to look for his next and hopefully final boyfriend. When he figures out who he wants, it will take all of his slytherin skills to win him over. Will it be enough? Will his role as a hero be too much to overcome?
1. Chapter 1

The purple light of dusk filtered through the windows, telling Harry it was time to leave. He stood and stretched. With a wave of his wand, Harry banished the ever-growing pile of paperwork back to its corner of the desk. He could stay and finish more of it, he thought, but something told him that he needed to start heading home.

Harry walked through the door to the front of the store, closing the door to his office and separating himself from the mountain of paperwork with a firm -click-. He looked around, pleased to see a few customers perusing the filled shelves, lingering to stare at some of the rather obscure oddities in the little shop. Harry knew how the customers felt, what made them stop and stare; each of the items held within its inanimate shell magic that could do such amazing things.

Being in front of the store, however, was not somewhere where Harry needed to linger. If he stayed too long, it would lead to-

"Harry, we need to talk."

-those horrible words from his soon-to-be ex-boyfriend. "Bill," he said, taking a deep breath to settle the tears that were threatening to leak from his emerald eyes. "We need to move this into my office." He looked around to the customers remaining in the store. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry for any inconvenience but we will be closing the store immediately. I do hope that you will stop by and purchase some items soon." He smiled at the those still there. "We will open tomorrow and have regular store hours then." The patrons left. Harry closed the door behind the last one, flipping the sign over to 'close'.

The two walked into Harry's office and Harry closed the behind him. He took a breath before turning back to Bill. "Absolutely nothing you say can take away the sight of that ugly, wrinkled bare arse hovering over my bed as he buggered my boyfriend!"

"I know, Harry, I know," Bill touched his arm but Harry roughly pulled away, "I'm sorry that you found out this way. I am glad you know now, though. It has been hard keeping this a secret from you."

Harry turned to face Bill, wind starting to stir around him as Harry's anger filled the room. "It was hard for YOU?! Did I just hear that correctly, Bill? I get it, you wanted someone older, but why did you not just say something instead of cheating on me?!" Bill, his eyes downcast and his entire face so red it was clashing horribly with his hair, looked very chastised. Harry sighed. "How long have you been seeing him, Bill?"

Bill mumbled something Harry could not quite hear.

"HOW LONG have you been seeing him, Bill?!" Harry glared, wishing he had the power to melt the flesh right off of Bill's body.

"Three months." Bill whispered, trying to make it so Harry could not hear him. He did not succeed.

"THREE MONTHS?!" A bottle of ink exploded on Harry's desk and Harry briefly applauded himself for remembering to move the papers back to their corner; even though the wind had blown several of them onto the floor. "I cannot believe you would do this to me! You told me you loved me! " tears fell steadily down Harry's face as his power swirled around him. "Was it all a lie?" Harry whispered.

"No!" Bill cried out, wishing desperately for the wind around Harry to die down so he could pull the young man into his arms. "It was never a lie. I loved you. Merlin, I still love you. It pains me to see you like this. It is not that I love you any less, it's just that he is so-"

"Old?" Harry interjected.

"No," Bill chuckled, moving closer to Harry as the magic-induced wind settled down, "actually, Harry, you should know this from dating me but with age comes a great deal of experience though-"

"Enough! I do not want to hear how that bastard gained his lifetime of experience so that he could whisk away my boyfriend." He turned away from Bill, gathering some of the papers and placed them back on the desk. Minutes passed slowly, the air filled with tension and the silence spread between them. Bill coughed, causing Harry to turn back around. "I have nothing more to say, Bill. There is no turning back from this. I am sorry, but we are through."

"I understand, Harry. I wish it could be different, I really do. Can we talk more about this?"

"No, no more talking. And since you won't leave, I will." Harry walked briskly to the office door, throwing it open and continued walking out to the door of the store and out of his relationship with Bill forever.

Now the only question would be where he was walking to now.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey guys. I hope you like this chapter, as it wasn't as easy to write as the first. I hope this clears up a couple of questions some of you had from the end of the chapter, but still keeps some mysteries for you to find out more about later in the story. I'll see if I can't post a chapter at least once a week. Later!

Harry paused outside the door, taking the moment to gain his bearings and figure out where he was going now he had left the store. Leaving the store brought back memories of when he and Bill together opened _The Devil's Disjunction_, a place catering to wizards and witches who needed the help of a curse breaker or defense items to make and keep their houses secure. Bill turned out to be the perfect business partner for the shop, they worked well together until recently. Harry told himself that he should have seen the signs, the way that Bill was always staying out later than usual, doing jobs that were never on the schedule, and then never being able to tell Harry what he had done that day.

Harry started down the alley, intent not only to put physical distance between himself and Bill, but also to find a place to fill his stomach and start looking for a new man. It had been a couple weeks since Harry had caught Bill cheating on him; Harry had taken the necessary time to mourn the lost relationship. He figured that the sooner he moved on, the sooner he would be able to work with Bill again, proving to both himself and Bill that they could move passed the stage of the awkward exes and back to being great co-owners of a very profitable shop.

He squared his shoulders and continued on, into the _Leaky Cauldron_. He paused a moment inside the door, allowing his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. He sent a small smile towards Tom, the bartender, and walked to his regular table. After ordering his meal, Harry pulled out the muggle pen he had started carrying thanks to Hermione and a piece of parchment which on one side held the groceries he required when he stopped next at the market.

Harry turned over the parchment and wrote the word "qualities" at the top. He chuckled slightly at the idea of placing this list on the back of his market list, but continued anyway. Each word that came to mind that he hoped would be a quality in his next lover he wrote down on his list. As Harry looked down the list he created, only one man he knew seemed to fit all of it. Harry had no idea how to get in touch with him, or even talk to the man, as they had yet to have a civil conversation in the years they had known each other.

He sighed and placed the list into his pocket. The waitress brought him his food to the table, and he gave her a small smile as she set down the basket of fish and chips. Harry was just about to take a bite when the door to the Leaky_ Cauldron_ was harshly pushed open and a tall man stumbled in, barely catching himself before he fell.

Harry's heart began to race. The man that had just walked in was the man that he had decided to pursue. Harry never expected to see him in a place such as this nor in the shape he was in. At that thought, Harry stood up and quickly made his way to the man; it would not do to let his future lover hurt himself by falling in a place such as this. He took the man's arm, starting to guide him back to the table. It was then that Harry realized the shape the man was in.

He looked at the man's face, which was paler than normal, all blood seemed to have been drained from it. The moisture under Harry's hand that he had thought was sweat he now realized was too thick to be, He looked at his hand only to gasp at the sight of so much blood.

"What happened?" Harry demanded to know, hoping to hear the silky tones of the man's voice come towards him without an undertone of disdain. "Who did this to you?"

"No time," the man responded, his voice cracking and hoarse. "You must get help." And with that, he promptly fell unconscious.

Not expecting to have the added weight, Harry nearly dropped him. Harry looked over to Tom at the bar. "Tom, can I use your floo connection?"

"Why certainly, Mr. Potter. You never need to ask to use it, Mr. Potter."

"Thanks, Tom." And with that Harry grabbed a handful of floo powder and said the name of the place that first came to mind where he could seek help for the injured man.

"SNAPE MANOR!"


	3. Chapter 3

Severus growled as his potion boiled over, completely ruined. The wards going off alerting him that Lucius had brought an unrecognized visitor into his manor would often do that. In a flurry of robes, Severus made his way upstairs to the floo room and to hex Lucius and whomever he had brought with him. As he neared the top of the stairs and heard someone yelling, he pulled his wand, trying to prepare for the worst.

"Snape!" Harry cried out, hoping that the only other conscious occupant would hear him as he struggled under the weight of Lucius' body. "Snape! Get here NOW!"

Severus growled again. He would recognize that blasted yell anywhere. He grabbed the handle of the door to the floo room, "Potter, what in the bloody hell do you think you..." the words died in his throat, caught there by the stunned surprise he felt when presented with the picture before him as the door opened. If Severus had not known that it was Lucius on the floor with Potter, he would have never guessed so from the particular state of his friend.

"Snape! He's passed out and I can't get out from under him!" Harry struggled some more, trying to prove his point.

"Potter, have you never yet learned how to properly use the floo connection? And how did you ever knock out Lucius in your bout of clumsiness?"

"Are you going to continue to stand there and talk until he bleeds to death, or are you going to help me?! I didn't knock him out, he passed out at the _Leaky Cauldron,_ from blood loss i would hazard to guess and I thought you may be the only one both of us trust enough to help him. So here I am, in the floor of your manor, covered in Lucius and a significant amount of his blood, asking you to help me HELP HIM!"

The volume of the last couple words knocked Severus out of his stupor. "Come, Mr. Potter, let us get Lucius to a more comfortable place where we can hope to uncover from where he is oozing all of his precious life-force onto your person." Severus levitated Lucius off of Harry and proceeded to take the body out the door and on down the hall towards the door of a guest suite.

Harry shuddered, looking at the amount of blood on his clothing, and imagining what could have possibly happened to Lucius for that much blood to be lost. Could Snape save him or was Lucius a lost cause? Should he floo Draco and have him here if his father was about to die?

"Potter, if you are done sitting there lost in your own thoughts, I could use some assistance saving this imbecile's life."

Harry rushed to Snape's side. "What has happened to him, Severus? how did he get into this shape?"

"Of course I have all the answers within two minutes of you flooing in, Mr. Potter. Go floo Draco. I require someone more competent than you to help me save him." Snape rushed off to start the arduous task of saving Lucius' life.

"I was just thinking whether or not I should floo him before you interrupted me." Harry huffed, turning back to the fireplace and grabbing the floo powder. He used the powder to call Malfoy manor, hoping that Draco was near the fire to hear him.

As luck would have it, Draco was sitting in a chair near the fireplace, reading and waiting for his father to return home. He raised an eyebrow at Harry's head floating in the fireplace. "Potter, what can I do for you?"

"You need to come over to Snape Manor, Draco." Harry replied.

"What has happened?"

"You just need to come here immediately."

"Let me change and-"

"NO! Give me five seconds to move away from the fire and come immediately!"

"Fine, fine, Potter, don't get your knickers in a bunch."

Harry left the fireplace, moving away so that Draco could come through. Gracefully, Draco landed in front of him. "Now what was so important that I needed to come straight away?"

"Your father has been injured and Snape requested your presence and assistance."

"Father is hurt?! Why didn't you say so earlier, Potter? Lead the way!" Draco ushered Harry ahead of him, hurrying him along to the place where Snape had placed Lucius.

Harry sighed, stopping at the doorway beyond which was a severely injured Lucius Malfoy.

"Don't just stand there, Potter!" Snape snapped. "Even with your meager knowledge of anything at all, you should be able to at least fetch water and fresh towels. Do not be a knot on Merlin's staff. Make yourself useful."

So Harry did.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Severus sighed as he walked away from the bed on which a prone Lucius lay. For three hours he worked, saving Lucius' life from something he had never had experience with before; a bullet. From a muggle weapon.

"Severus, did you find out what happened?" Draco looked worriedly at his godfather; he had never seen him so frazzled. Draco was frustrated that his godfather had thrown him out of the room when he was not able to keep his composure at seeing his father in such a state.

"There was a bullet, Draco, lodged in your father's abdomen. Someone has figured out that although we seem to be able to save ourselves from anything besides the Unforgivables, shooting guns at us will stop us just as effectively."

"Who would do such a thing?!"

"That I have yet to ascertain, Draco. Now, if you don't mind, I have had a busy night saving your father's life. Can you take care of my other" he paused, the word seeming to cause him pain whilst sitting on his tongue "guest. I am taking myself off to bed, and I wish that you, your father, and Potter be gone when I get up in the morning. Your father should wake up in a couple hours and Potter should be in the front parlor, where I sent him after he decided to be more of a nuisance that a help." With that, Severus walked away, leaving Draco staring after him.

Draco made his way to the parlor, intent on taking his frustration out on Potter. He found him seated, staring into the embers of the dying fire, obviously waiting upon word of the condition of Lucius.

"Why are you still here, Potter?" Draco questioned, causing Harry to look up at him. "Shouldn't you be sitting around your own home, waiting for your precious boyfriend to make it home from one of his late night jobs?" Draco snickered, knowing exactly what Bill was doing behind harry's back.

"I dumped him, Draco. I found him and Lockheart doing the dirty on my bed."

"I thought he was in St. Mungos with all of his memory lost forever."

"Don't I wish..." Harry mumbled. "He was healed by some sort of reversal spell that some new hot shot found. He's nowhere as pretty as he used to be; he's even missing a few teeth."

Draco snickered at the mental image. "Who would have thought that the winner of _Witch Weekly's_ most dazzling smile would ever be missing teeth?"

"I bet he didn't. Alas, Bill still saw something in him. I am now left to work with Bill at the store we opened together. I am not sure I am up for the challenge." Harry's gaze wandered back to the fire before him.

"So don't."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't go back to work with him. Surely you two can come up with some sort of agreement that would benefit you both and keep the store open. Maybe you can use part of your profits to hire a replacement for you." Draco suggested.

"And what should I do then, Draco? Run for minister?"

"Well there's a thought," Draco smirked. "And, with you trying to date my father and all, it might be even more of a reason for him to consider it."

Harry paused, looking back up to Draco, seeing the gleam in Draco's eye, and sighed. "I have been meaning to do something about all the problems I have found in the Ministry." Harry sighed again. "I just did not think that I would be making the changes from the top of the food chain."

"The problems you have found?" Draco seated himself in another armchair close to Harry.

"Oh yes. There are many things that this Ministry has done to separate itself from all the other magical beings across Britain and the world. I have been working with someone rather close to the Minister to figure out just what needs to be done about this whole situation."

"Situation?" Draco echoed.

"Oh Draco, so naive about the world outside of Malfoy Manor. You better make yourself comfortable there, Draco, I have quite the story to tell you."

And with that, Harry started upon his story, enrapturing his audience.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"It all started with Dumbledore, really," Harry began. "His manipulations led me to question who else in power was using their pull to create puppets of wizarding Britain. Later, my concern stretched to the entire wizarding world." Harry glanced at Draco, who was staring at him with wonder. "What?" Harry asked.

"I never knew." Draco responded

"What? That I was being manipulated by Dumbledore?"

"No," Draco scoffed. "Everyone knew that. I never knew that you had noticed his manipulations."

"Of course I noticed, Draco." Harry replied. "I knew that I was the way he believed was the easiest way to get rid of Voldemort. He created the entire situation: from the marauders getting together, to Snape being an outcast, to Peter's betrayal, and Dumbledore's plan to pointedly ignore my parent's wishes for my placement if both godparents were unable to take me. Dumbles made sure that I would not really be missed if I died taking out Voldie."

"But what about your ministry plans? What do they have to do with Dumbledore making sure no one missed you, Potter?"

"That's an easy, question, Draco. Surely a Slytherin with such a cunning mind could figure it out." Draco smirked, but motioned with a dismissive wave for Harry to continue with his story. Harry sighed, "Very well. I saw Dumbledore's manipulations and, as previously stated, started looking for similar manipulations elsewhere in the wizarding world. I would have bet all of my galleons that someone powerful was controlling it all. For a while, at first, I believed that person to be your father, Draco." Said blonde snorted at the idea. "Do not snort at such a thought. Your father has painted this complex aura around himself that makes it seem as though he exudes power. He is at every ministry function, chatting with the minister and others who have a great deal of authority at the Ministry of Magic. I guessed that he kept them close to control them."

"What made you change your mind?"

"Really watching him. His image that he has created is great to those who are easily manipulated and others who do not spend a large amount of time studying him." Harry paused, as if he was pulling out a memory to replay before he continued. With half- opened eyes, he we on, "his grip on his cane gave him away."

"His grip, Potter? Really? How could that possibly have made you question whether or not my father was pulling the strings of the wizarding world?"

"Lucius controls his cane. He keeps it very still, as if it is the one object that grounds him to the world. He never plays with it, never sets it aside, never moves it unless he starts walking. A more relaxed, more in control of his surroundings would let his cane wander in his grip, slightly moving as in emphasis to a point or some such. Your father holds his cane as if he is afraid that he will be found out, that someone will figure out he is not that powerful and his status will wane to the point of unimportance."

"Well Merlin's holy undergarments." Draco said after a lengthy pause. the two stared at each other before a smirk spread across Draco's face, making Harry rather uncomfortable. "Is that how you developed feelings for my father, Potter? By watching him hold his _cane_?"

Hey Y'all...reviews make me happy...a happy writer is a productive writer...a productive writer posts new chapters rather quickly sooo... reviews...please?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Lucius groaned, wincing as he opened one eye then the other, seeing only dark greens. He was obviously in a bed, albeit not his own. He could not remember anything before leaving the house that morning. Lucius looked down at his stomach, noticing the bandages that were wrapped around him, slightly tinged in red. Apparently he had been injured, gravely so, and for some reason could not remembered how it happened. Thinking about his state and the idea of being in a strange yet slightly familiar bed, Lucius began to try to figure out what to do now.

He stopped, listening for any kind of movement around him. Turning to the side, he saw a door open, light filtering into the room from there. He could hear laughter coming from a room further down the hallway to which the door led. Lucius shifted, sitting up, wincing as he did so, but he decided to lay back down. He sighed as this released some of the stress to his injury.

Something buzzed by his head, obviously connected to his state of consciousness and probably to someone else's wand. He waited, hoping that the buzzing would stop soon as it was giving him a headache. Lucius could hear hurried footsteps making their way down the hallway. They stopped, a hushed voice said something on down the hallway, and then there were multiple sets of footsteps coming towards him.

Lucius wished for his wand about then; meeting people without some sort of protection was not something that he wanted to do neither in his current state, nor really in any state at all. He held his breath, waiting to see who would walk through the door. With relief, he exhaled as Draco walked into the room, striding quickly to his father's side.

Draco sat next to his father on the bed, taking Lucius' hand in his own. "Father, how do you feel?"

"As though some herd of animals tried to run through my chest. What happened, Draco, and where exactly am I?"

"You are safe within the walls of Snape Manor, Lucius." Severus interjected, coming towards the bed with potions in hand. "Take these or you'll never heal from being shot."

"Shot? What do you mean shot? A blasting hex or something? I've never seen one where it would make one bleed so." Lucius shook his head, scowling as he tried to make sense of it all.

"No, my friend, that was no blasting hex, nothing magical caused your injury. Do you remember anything from your outing today?"

"Nothing beyond stepping through the floo, heading to do a few errands for the day. There was no one that I had intentions of meeting that should have had reason to hurt me."

Harry stood in the doorway, stunned by what he was witnessing. Never before had he seen Slytherins act so...human. It was almost as if there was actual love between the people in the room, something Harry desperately wished to be a part of. Soon, he told himself. Soon you will be able to enter that room with no hesitation, though hopefully it will not be because Lucius found himself at the wrong end of a gun...again...

"Father," Lucius turned towards Draco, a questioning look upon his face, causing his forehead to wrinkle and marring the perfections of his features. "What Severus means to say is...well...you were shot. By what the muggles apparently call a gum."

Harry snorted, drawing the eyes of the others in the room on to him. He quickly sobered, pushing himself off of the doorframe and further towards the bed. "It is not a gum, Draco. It is a gun. A piece of metal that muggles put bullets in and shoot at each other with the intent to kill the other." Harry looked at Lucius with a very serious look upon his face. "Someone tried to kill you, Lucius Malfoy, someone you saw today pointed a gun at your chest and left you to die. You may not remember who pulled the trigger, but I'll be damned if I rest until the culprit is found."


End file.
